Soundtrack to my life

Sort of a theme for this music collection, which is why I placed it first in this list. Watch the 1980 film too with Denis Hopper, although it’s quite disturbing

Love the grungy sound of this track. Check out my Podcast recommendation

Find a relaxed place to listen to this in the dark with a good immersive sound system, or your best headphones. Let the album take you wherever your imagination will take you. Get lost in its space and come out the other side somewhere new!

What a break-up song :(

This is beautiful mediation music. I can’t remember how I came across it but I am so glad I did! Often played in the morning at home

This is current day Eno, back to using his voice, along with his daughter. Wonderful

Early video of the Cocteau’s

Hugely influential Scottish indie band, famous for unfathomable lyrics ! This is an ealy track

The one and only Bjork from her debut album

Somewhat later and more experimental

Bristol Trip-Hop - also sublime covered by John Martyn

John Martyn’s version that I mentioned in the Portishead blurb. The album cover represents the church that he turned into a recording studio

For now, I am including three trip hop classics from Massive attack to start with. Will be adding more!
First up Angel

Second up - Teardrop with Elizabeth Fraser

Lastly Mezzanine with Elizabeth Fraser again

Nexcyia playing at the Semibreve festival in Braga in October 2023

Nexcyia playing in the Hammersborg church during the by:Larm festival in Oslo in September 2022.

Nexcyia playing in the Hammersborg church during the by:Larm festival in Oslo in September 2022.

I saw Loraine James perform at the Semibreve Electronic music and digital art festival in Braga Portugal. Nexcyia had returned to London by tis points so I was hanging with the young ones on my own. To be honest I didn’t get it live but after listening to the album on my own a few times it finally clicked

The first album I ever bought at age 13 or 14 was Pink Floyd’s Relics. But this is from the Meddle album. It takes up the whole of the B side

The scream in this song is scary as hell. Along with Proidgy’s Firestarter, it’s another one I used to chase the kids around the house too for amusement!

Very much my student years

Brilliant album with Eno behind the controls

I well remember going to see her at the Marquee club with Lisa, Nick and gang

I bought the album when it first came out but this track came roaring back in 2022/2023

From an earlier album I like. Will no doubt be adding more of Tom waits to this archive !

Hard to choose from the huge catalogue of Tom Waits but starting with this one

Hard to describe these guys, pretty much led by the dictatorial painter Don Van Vliet. This and other selections are from his latter musical outputs before he retied to painting only.

From Doc at the Radar Station, my favourite Captain Beefheart album. Sung with an ashtray voice!

Also from the Doc at the Radar Station album. A surreal track with “Bad voogum”

I have a few Iggy stories, like nearly being crushed to death on the floor of the mosh pit at the Shepherds Bush Empire

One of Iggy’s best known songs. Recorded at Hansa studios in Berlin with Bowie on piano and backing vocal. Crazy stage invasion towards the end, encouraged by Iggy. The video of the whole concert in Belgium is well worth a watch

One of my favourite Nick Cave songs. Not sure how this made it past the TV censors! Just amazing seeing him do it live, which is getting rarer these days. And these clips with his girlfriend at the time PJ Harvey!

What a great video with a bunch of other musicians, like Jarvis Cocker, in the dance scenes

Yes, Nick Cave is religious

A sad moment

Not creating a separate grunge category as they own it. Check out the Reading Festival video as well with the stage dancer - wonderful stuff

Bad Bad Not Good. Yet another jazz band introduced to me by the children

Another introduction by the children - they love their Jazz!

Alexa took me to see these guys at Somerset House and I saw them again at the Newport jazz festival with Pam in 2019. Will be seeing them again in Paris in 2024

Pam and I were side stage for this show at the Newport Jazz festival, so we might be in the video! Patrice Quinn really fits the part. The revolution is coming - “We will no longer ask for justice, instead we will take our retribution”

Another classic from the great Kamasi Washington - in his native LA by the looks of it

Simply the best

If we have Miles, we have to have John!

Another road-trip favourite of the 80s

The creator and pioneer of afro-futurism

Probably the only full album I will post as its sort of a concept jazz album

Big heroin addict with sublime voice !

Yey. My song :) Miles is a family friend of ours from LA too

A jazz classic

A massive hit across several generations

The definitive angry version

This is Jazz rock/fusion at its best. See my other video of the Mahavishnu Orchestra live at Syracuse with Billy on drums

I am such a big fan of Connie Constance. This is from her first album which is outstanding. She can do punky material too but this is a jazzier interpretation of her song Yesterday

Amazing album with Jaco Pastorius. The album that got me into Joni and glad to see that she is back in 2024!

A resurgent Bob Dylan released a trilogy of amazing albums starting with Time Out of Mind in 1997, Love & Theft in 2001 and Modern Times in 2006. They had tendencies toward blues and rockabilly which I loved and this is one of my favourites with a driving beat.

A lot of Bob to choose from. Taking the Scottish angle on this one

Love Bob’s rockabilly phase

Another modern classic from Bob Dylan

We were there in St. Sebastien for my wife’s birthday to see the emerging Gregory Porter . He came up and said hello to us after the show!

Love the understated lyrics and sound

John Martyn’s Solid Air is about Nick Drake who took his life at a young age.

King Creosote (Kenny Anderson) is from one of the fishing villages of Fife where my father came from. Hard to listen to sometimes now that he has passed. This is the first/intro track which segues with the second. Listen to both in that order.

King Creosote (Kenny Anderson) is from one of the fishing villages of Fife where my father came from. Hard to listen to now that he has passed. This is the second track which follows the intro. Listen to both in that order

The man from Fife! - managing to mix bagpipes, electronics and poignant lyrics into a beautiful mix.

I have loved this Aria since seeing in the film Diva. Sung by Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez

Just beautiful and celestial

My son Adam doing a great classical collaboration for Bastille day at the French Institute in London

This band came out of Big Audio Dynamite. Well at least the drummer did. They brought the samples with them too. Somehow I completely missed them even though John Peel was a huge fan.

An almighty dance hit !

Still fresh today. Love it and still makes my party playlists

My kilt wearing phase (Arielle’s wedding and my retirement party) was inspired by Axl Rose in this performance

Maybe not many people have seen this. From the Lulu show on the BBC! - selected this over the more iconic Woodstock clips

Saw Robin Trower at Newcastle City hall in the 70s. Was hoping to see him again in Yorkshire in 2021/22 but covid got in the way.

Simply the best best drinking song ever!

The wonderful R.L Burnside, although this is a hell of a story

One of many relatively unknown blues players

Timeless and massive when I was in my teens

Chris Farlowe, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Dave Greenslade blasting out early British blues/jazz. One of my all time faves. And what a voice !

Another great re-incarnation of Planty

Let’s call this my Led Zep selection! - often played loud in our Hackney household and other special occasions, like before leaving for the airport to travel to India!

The start of a great solo career

Lovers Rock personified!

The king of Lovers Rock

Huge in France and great production for it’s time

Became a bit of a frequent player in the 80s and on some road trips!

First track on Satta Massagana :)

Saw them at a rather infamous Hackney Empire gig - wonderful roots reggae

This up there with Gimme Shelter and Sympathy for the Devil

New song, somewhat cliché video

Probably cried once or twice in the crowd listening to this

One of my favourite live songs to dance to

Yes, Keith really does play a good blues guitar

Always on my party playlist!

Another party favourite

A deserved come back in his latter years from the Big Man

Oh Man - we all need to sing this one time in our lives!

Another soul legend

What a classic

Classic Marvin

Such a classic dance song. Nile Rogers at the helm

Jazz poet extraordinaire

Love her stripped down production on this jazz effort. Great live too

A short lived but well deserved spot of fame as he came to the end of his career. Showman of the old school

Our very own British R&B/Soul legend

Saw him at the roman amphitheater in Lyon with Pam (gift from Alexa) - Amazing. Britain’s got talent :)

A little leftfield for some people but a mercury prize winner. Lived and busked on the streets in Paris before he gained attention and recognition.

So talented and lost too soon. One of her saddest songs

Autobiographical or what !

Memories of trips to New York and Greece still strong with this track

The original hallelujah

His one album Grace (before his tragic drowning) that will never be forgotten. A worthy equal of the original Leonard Cohen song (also somewhere in my list).

From John’s classic “divorce” album Grace and Danger

Two great tracks marvelously segued

Such a poignant rendition, somewhat foretelling the beginning of the end, as he drank himself to the grave.

My last concert before he died. Closing song of the set

Including this odd video of the Big Man playing on Hastings beach. I rough sort of a place but he is clearly up for it, even if knocking back a large Rhum & Coke in the process. Put’s his best Scottish accent on too.

John did like his Whisky and Rhum !

Canvey Island lads who had a blues, R&B and punk following in the mid-late 70’s. Went onto see Wilko loads of times on the London pub circuit and with Ian Dury’s Blockheads in the 80s.

How it all started

His whole life in 10 min

Had quite a Smiths phase when at university in the early 80s. Chose this because of Johnny Marr’s excellent guitar work more than anything else!

The jazz version. Seen at the San Sebastian Jazz festival along with Gregory Porter. They were crazy loud.

Such a lovely vibe

Not sure where I came across this but I love the funky vibe

Such a cool guy and DJ

Radio 6 presenter and singer of Elbow

A saw Peter Hammill several times in London while I lived there, so was thrilled to see him in Paris recently

Early Pere Ubu!

From seeing them as student in 1982 in London, to being reconnected in present day Paris - All the way from Cleveland Ohio. Amazing and out there!

Was wowed by this band at the Olso festival “by:Larm” that Adam was also performing at

What a crazy band and song. He died too early. I used to chase the kids around the house playing this at high volume :)

They made quite a splash with this performance

80’s electronic guys - big in Hackney

The ultimate road trip track

Title track of his amazing final album.

David Bowie’s last two albums just blew me away but Blackstar is the most amazing final album ever.

Once of the most inspirational Bowie songs. “We can be heroes, just for one day” And isn’t Gail Ann Dorsey fantastic on bass

What a great setting for this classic U-Roy song. Saw him at the 1976 Reading festival!

Introduced by Judge Dread. Playing in Edinburgh in the early 70’s

Wonderful pop-reggae

A stirring protest song. Saw them at the venue I held my retirement party at. In fact, the reason I chose the venue for my retirement party!

Local Edinburgh band making waves. Flying to Washington DC to see them in April 2024. I can do that in The Next Stage :)

Arty musician and dancer, who makes great music and videos. Scary too.

Powerful stuff with the gorgeous Naomi Campbell. This was written about the drones being used in Afghanistan but its as relevant as ever, given the use of drones in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere.

This Swedish based band with an American singer have a great mix of humour and a punk esthetic . The videos are pretty fucking great too!

He was Belgian but loved by the French. His accordionist played with Tetes Raides at the Giverny festival one year

Saw them a few times at the Giverny festival and this is always the highlight for me in their setlist. Christian Olivier is something of an anarchist poet too

Kings of the desert and big influence on Robert Plant

Modern punk poets

Picked this up from radio 6 I think. Lovely rhythm

The punk poet

One of a kind shouter from Manchester. Might have lost most of his teeth to alcoholism by this point!

What a voice, what a talent. Pam and I and I saw her at the Newport Jazz festival too

I was lucky enough to see the great Rachid Taha at the Giverny festival (in the small barn) before he died. It was quite a night and I got into trouble with my exuberant reaction and flaying arms to this song!!

Another fine mix of French and North African music. Played in Vernon/Giverny once

The Flamenco legend Camaron

I went to see Henry Rollins do his spoken word show in London many years ago. Didn’t do this one but its very funny.

Several interpretations on this poem. I believe it was written about his dying father but I take it as a call to fight against getting old and to stay young at heart!